PORNY HIGH COURT JUSTICE SUSPENDED OVER RACY EMAILS

State Supreme Court Justice Michael Eakin cried in front of a review board Monday, saying his emails uncovered as part of the wide-ranging Porngate scandal were simply “male banter.” Well, the Court of Judicial Discipline disagreed. The board ruled that Eakin’s emails that contained images of naked women and racial stereotypes “tainted the Pennsylvania judiciary in the eyes of the public.” It suspended him pending a trial when it will be decided if he violated judicial conduct rules. In the meantime, Eakin will still receive his annual salary — all $203,409 of it.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE TRIAL OF KATHRYN KNOTT

The jury of now-convicted gay basher Kathryn Knott was tasked with deciding her guilt or innocence in a case that, thanks to the immediacy of our timelines and the eagerness of amateur sleuths desperate to help, the public had already decided. From investigation to prosecution to Knott’s firing to opinions about her sentencing, seemingly everyone had thoughts about what should happen months before the actual criminal proceedings began. Welcome to criminal justice in the age of Twitter and Facebook.

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HOW ED RENDELL AND OTHER PROMINENT PHILLY JEWS SPEND CHRISTMAS

Ed Rendell says that when he was mayor he used to wear a suit 364 days a year. The only day he didn’t was Christmas. In the ’90s, some of Philadelphia’s top elected officials and appointed staff were Jewish. But the only current Jews with prominent positions in city government are City Controller Alan Butkovitz and Councilman-elect Allan Domb. Here’s what they told Billy Penn about how they’ve spent the holiday.

INDEGO, UBER, NO KEY FOR SEPTA: THE YEAR IN PHILLY TRANSIT

For those who care about how Philly gets around, it’s been a wild year. Uber went full-throttle and Lyft launched. Indego is here, and yes, SEPTA still swears the Key is coming at some point. The crash of Amtrak 188 meant a renewed interest in rail safety, and the city announced that, after long last, it’ll be getting its *first* protected bike lane. It’s been a big year for transportation in Philadelphia. Here’s a look back at some of the biggest stories of the year.